Drawn to You
by DarkRai
Summary: [SwanQueen AU] Fate makes them meet and Fate keeps them from meeting. And each time they do meet, they get a little older but Emma has always been Regina's saviour and Regina has always been Emma's queen. No curse, modern world AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : I know, I know… Bad Rai for getting distracted and having a severe case of Art ADD but I was just trying to take a nap after an exhausting day of job interviews and this idea (this _vague_ idea) just would not leave my head. So… here it is?

Also, Persona 5 OSTs were stuck in my head so I went "Screw it" and opened up an OST playlist while I typed haha

*TW: bullying (because I realize I forgot to put that in my other fic and people apparently need warnings)

* * *

 **Drawn to You**

There was a throbbing pain in her knee as she cradled her leg and squeezed around the area of the skinned off flesh. But that was the least of her problems since she was surrounded by a group of kids her age – the ones that had caused the state of her knee. She sniffed once, holding back her tears because she _refused_ to show weakness to these bullies. It was something her mother taught her never to do.

"Aww, you gonna cry Princess?"

"Why don't you run home to Mommy?"

She knew that no answer was the right answer; it never ended well for her when she spoke. She also learned not to make any sudden movements despite wanting to get up and ' _run home_ ' as they've said, she knew she couldn't. Not really. Not if she wanted to get back home in one piece.

"Ugh, think you're better than us? That why you're not talking?" One of the girls kicked up a mixture of dirt and rock at her and she had to shield her face.

"Since you don't like talking so much, maybe we should help make sure you never speak again." _Uh oh_. Today looked like she was not going to get home unscathed. At this point there was nothing she could do when she saw the other kids advance on her, she just curled up into a protective ball and just hoped for the moment to pass soon.

With her eyes squeezed shut and her head wrapped in her arms she heard a resounding _thwack_ followed by screaming. "Holy crap, this girl is crazy!" She heard the heavy thuds of everyone's footfalls as they all ran away from her but she was still too scared to see if she was safe.

"Hey." A girl's voice. She sounded like she was right in front of her and Regina slowly moved her arms away. She saw a girl her age crouched in front of her. She was momentarily blinded by the girl's blonde curls since the sunlight hit it just right, causing the girl to practically glow. "Hey." The girl repeated when their eyes met, this time a little softer and with a smile. "You're safe now." And it was at that moment that she noticed the girl was carrying a bat.

 _What?_

Was she going to beat Regina with it? She fully lifted her head then and looked around. This didn't make any sense, if the girl was going to beat her where were the others?

"Oh geez, that knee looks gross, we should get that looked at." Regina looked at the blonde again, it didn't look like she was here to harm her and - for reasons beyond her - even looked like she came to help.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and the girl simply grinned and held out her hand. It took a moment hesitation but she eventually grabbed it and found herself being pulled up.

"Can you walk, Princess?" She couldn't help the frown that appeared on her face when she heard the moniker.

"Don't call me that." The lanky blonde shuffled her feet and gave her a rather sheepish smile.

"Sorry, you just looked like a princess to me," and after a pause, the girl blurted out, "you're really pretty." She found herself gripping the blonde's hand with a bit more force than necessary in order to keep her balance because she just realized this girl was _complimenting_ her. It was such a foreign thing that she wasn't sure how to feel in that moment. She's had adults compliment her before, but they always felt so empty, like it was just a polite afterthought and she's always wondered if maybe she was just as ungrateful as her mother has always said she was.

But here was a girl her age calling her _pretty_ and she realized those compliments from adults really were as empty as she thought they were because this one little word made her entire body flare up in warmth.

"My name is Regina." And she somehow managed to feel some confidence seep into her bones and she stood up as straight as she could, "So I'm not a _princess_ but a _queen_." The blonde looked at her in wonder for a bit before she burst out in laughter. And normally she would be offended, but she wasn't. Instead, the girl's laughter caused her to smile.

"And what might the name of my _saviour_ be?" She looked over and grinned when she heard the title.

"Saviour, huh? Name's Emma, at your service, my Queen." She gave as much of a bow as she could while still grasping onto her with one hand and another holding onto the bat perched on her shoulder. Regina let out a giggle at Emma's silliness which only caused the grin to grow on the blonde's face, her blue-green eyes practically sparkling.

They walked – well, shuffled – for a moment in silence before Regina finally blurted out the top question that was plaguing my mind.

"Did you beat them off with a bat?" Well, okay, second top question.

Emma laughed, "Hell's yeah I did."

"Hell's-" Regina was perplexed by the blonde's vocabulary but didn't dwell on it, "Why did you save me?" _That_ was the biggest question that she couldn't figure out the answer to.

"Why wouldn't I?" Was the answer and Regina stared at her in perplexed confusion as the blonde just smiled as if her answer was the answer to the universe – which, to Regina, it might as well be, because she felt the world melting around her when Emma just looked at her for her and not _the Mayor's kid_.

* * *

It was when Regina was at the nurse's office and she had to wait for her mother to come pick her up that she began to learn a bit about Emma. The girl was a foster kid who just moved in with a family and she happened to be in the neighbourhood practicing some baseball with her new foster dad when she overheard the bullies beating Regina up.

"You know I've always wanted to save my own princess one day. Looks like I got a queen instead."

Emma learned quite a bit about Regina as well. It was probably the first time someone actually genuinely wanted to know her, actually listened when she talked, and Emma always had this look like she was filing everything she said away in her head.

She told her that she was the Mayor's daughter and that the Mayor was a ruthless, relentless dictator that everyone hated but couldn't do anything about because of how much power she held. And the adults would then complain about the Mayor around their child and their child would then push all that hate onto Regina instead.

"That's stupid." Emma said with a locked jaw, "Whatever your mom does has nothing to do with you." It was nice to hear that for once, especially when she's been told the opposite all her life and she just gave Emma a grateful smile and moved on from the topic.

She started to tell her about how much she loved to read, "Head in the clouds." Both her parents have said, one with much more distaste than the other and how one day she hoped to leave town and finally be free from her mother.

"You'll get there." Emma had grasped her hand then and gave a pleasant squeeze. "And when you do, we can go on an adventure together."

She learned that Emma was searching for home.

And when her mother came to pick her up and she reluctantly waved Emma goodbye, it was only the next day when she fully regretted not holding on to the blonde harder. She regretted not spending more time with her. She learned that Emma had been sent away by her new family because she was accused of beating others with a bat.

* * *

 **End Note** : lol super short, but I just wanted to get this idea on paper – er – word doc and I'll probably continue it considering how short it's going to be.

To be fairly honest, I have no idea where I'm going with this, but when the hell do I _ever_ know what I'm doing?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So, I didn't get the job, but I did get a nice $40 parking ticket :/

And I can feel myself spiraling towards depression from the added stress of having no income and falling into debt. Which is probably why I'm writing, so I can take my mind off of it all for a while and just… I don't know, let it slowly process it so I don't get overwhelmed by the stress.

* * *

 **Drawn to You**

She was lost.

 _Why_ did she let herself get so distracted that her group left without her even noticing? She wasn't surprised that her group left her, if anything, she should've expected it. Which was why she was reprimanding herself for not being more careful. She turned her head left and right hoping to catch a glimpse of her group but she knew it was useless. It was ridiculous how much this stuff still got to her, she should be used to the bullying by now. But for some reason, being stranded in the middle of nowhere with only strangers surrounding her was her breaking point.

Just before she felt like she was going to cry she felt a hand grab onto hers and it startled her but she hand felt familiar. She turned and saw sparkling blue eyes staring back at her.

She stared in disbelief, thinking the person in front of her was a mirage or even a figment of her imagination to comfort her since she felt so lost. But then the mirage spoke, "Are you okay, your majesty?" And it was her. It was _really_ her. There was no one else that would call her that.

"Emma." Regina breathed out and before she knew it she threw herself into the arms of the blonde. "I missed you so much." She muttered into the girl's neck; Emma was a little taller than her now and she's lost a bit of her awkward lankiness. Regina couldn't control the "you're beautiful" that came out of her mouth when she stepped back a bit to fully look at the blonde.

Emma sheepishly rubbed the back of the neck and blushed prettily. "Thanks, but I can't even compare to how beautiful you look, Regina." And she had to focus on her breathing because for a moment, air refused to go into her lungs and just _how do you breathe again?_ "Why are you here?" The blonde brought her back from her moment and she was reminded of her surroundings and remembered she was lost.

"Oh, I came here with my school as a high school graduation trip…"

She trailed off and the blonde narrowed her eyes and Regina knew there was no use hiding because she just _knew_ that Emma could see what she wasn't saying.

"Don't these things usually have groups?" And she tried, she averted her eyes from the questioning stare hoping against hope that the blonde would drop it, "Regina…"

"Emma, don't, please don't cause any trouble." Regina never pleaded, but for Emma she would as long as it would keep the girl safe. "I never got the chance to thank you last time, but because of me you were sent away." She could feel the other girl moving to hug her but she gripped both her upper arms and held her at a distance. "I'm actually surprised you don't hate me right now. I'm the reason why you had to go to a different family."

And the smile she received was so heartbreaking Regina almost cried. It was like Emma expected herself to never find a family that wanted her, it was like she was so used to it, so desensitized, that she's given up her dream of _Home_. "If I was to be sent away, my Queen," the blonde said softly, "then I'm glad it was because I was protecting you." And Regina couldn't hold herself away any longer and she used the same hands holding Emma back to pull her in instead. She was once again wrapped in the arms of the blonde and for a moment she wondered if this was the _home_ that Emma had talked about.

* * *

Apparently, Emma's school decided that a school trip to the museum would be fun as well; Emma's group had agreed that they would be free to wander then meet back in front of the souvenir shop in an hour. It was something Regina could only dream of, having a group and everyone – including her – making plans together; it made Regina realize that the blonde was good at speaking and probably made a ton of friends.

"Nah," Emma had waved the comment off, "they're all just acquaintances and as soon as I move they'll forget all about me."

"I won't forget you." Regina had said immediately after and the blonde looked away but not before she caught the smile that appeared on Emma's face.

They started to wander around together, half looking for Regina's group and half just enjoying the displays. They stood side by side the entire time, the back of their hands brushing up against each other but neither knowing when it was the appropriate time to grab it.

After they've gone through the entire museum, they stopped in front of the display she was initially distracted by and Emma let out the secret that, "to be honest, I don't like museums that much." Regina sensed a 'but' in there so she kept silent and waited for her to continue. "But then I remember that you like to read, and I remember we talked about us having an adventure and I would see some of these medieval displays and I think of you." Their hands gravitated toward each other in that moment and they both squeezed like they were reconfirming that the other was actually there.

Eventually, they do find Regina's group and she had to pull the blonde back from making a fuss because she could feel the anger radiating off of her friend – they were _friends_ now right? _Yes,_ Regina decided, _they were friends now._ And there was no way she was letting Emma get in trouble because of her again. Even if she did have to grin and bear the purposely done abandonment.

She squeezed Emma's hand again and whispered out a, "I don't want to let go." Because she promised herself that she would hold on to Emma longer. Spend as much as she could with her.

And Emma squeezed back and whispered a, "me neither." But Emma was the one that pulled away first and pushed her over to the group because the blonde didn't want them to leave her behind again. Emma flourished a bow before she left, "Until next time, my Queen." And then she was gone and Regina went back to her group in a daze, completely immune to the glares sent by her group members. And when she had to leave the museum, she felt like a part of her heart stayed with Emma when she left and there was now a piece of her missing without the blonde beside her.

* * *

 **End Note** : I think this chapter is even shorter than the previous one haha I think I'll have maybe 2 more and then I'm done but really, me and planning? Psssh, good luck with that.

I also got my period right when I finished writing and was like _really?_ Thanks for the unnecessary added stress, body. Now I'm gonna go drown myself in some mango ice cream because _why the hell not?_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This chapter is like 2x longer than both the previous 2 chapters combined lol it really just blew up and I just kept writing and writing and I was like "I have to _stop"_ but the more I wrote, and the more elements I added, I just wanted to resolve them or make everything I wrote previously have some sort of significance. But alas, if I tried to make every meaningful quote important later on, or explain/explore more of the other characters, this fic would never friggin' end. So I'm ending it here, plotholes and all.

So enjoy, the final chapter.

* * *

 **Drawn to You**

What in the world convinced her that this was in any way a bright idea? Why she decided to listen to Kathryn and go to this party was truly beyond her because right now, while she's sitting on one of the couches beside an overly enthusiastic couple, she couldn't recall any of those so called 'good reasons' that convinced her to come here in the first place.

She does remember one particular reason, it was actually something Kathryn had said to her, though to be honest, she was more convinced by how irritated she got from the sentence than the sentence itself.

"Regina, come on, live a little, it's your 3rd year in college and you haven't been to any parties!" _And for good reason_ , she thought as she clutched her solo cup tightly. She took a tiny sip out of it because she wasn't used to alcohol and the taste burned her mouth. But it was probably the only thing she could drink here so she begrudgingly got a cup and has just been slowly sipping out of it the entire night.

 _This was a stupid idea_ , she said to herself for the thousandth time and really, the _main_ reason she had come here was this tiny niggling feeling in the back of her mind saying _go for it_ which caused her to accept.

Damn voice in the back of her mind. She's never going to listen to it ever again.

The party was loud, rowdy and everyone was either grinding together in a writhing orgy of a mess or passed out from drinking _or_ , she thinks with a grimace, _they're like this couple here and probably having too much fun in one of the rooms_. She's not a prude, no, she's had sex before; it just wasn't an enjoyable experience for her so she didn't understand what was so great about it.

After a year of dating around both men _and_ women – because she couldn't quite forget _blond and blue-green eyes_ – she pretty much swore off dating after a string of boring dates and mediocre sex and she refuses to think that maybe her heart never came back that day at the museum, maybe it'll never come back.

Oh, she spotted her friend Kathryn.

The blonde woman was flailing her arms around as she danced like a lunatic to this heavy bass music – if you could call it music. After shifting in her seat and crossing her legs she realized that she needed to pee. She didn't want to think about how gross the washrooms probably were and got up, tried to make her way by weaving through the gyrating bodies but was accosted by some man who literally chest bumped her until she found herself trapped by a wall.

"Excuse me, could you get out of my way?" She spat out, but the man just rested his palms on both sides of her head and gave her a drunken smile.

"C'mon girl, been watching you all night, you were just sitting on the couch. Why don't I show you a good time and get this party really started?" She didn't even bother hiding her disgust because _really? 'Watching you all night'? That's not creepy at all._

"On the contrary, letting you ' _show me a good_ time' will make this party experience even worse than it already is. Now could you get away from me or shall I stab you with my heel?" She said with exasperation; she wasn't really expecting a reply because she highly doubt these _plebeians_ , as inebriated as they are, could process her full, coherent sentences.

She was right of course, because the man towering over her had scrunched up his face in confusion; apparently he also couldn't process his threat because he simply pressed his body into hers some more. Before she could push him off however, the man was torn off her body and practically thrown onto the floor.

"You need to take a walk, buddy."

Regina nearly gasped at the voice because _it's not possible_ , but that didn't mean her head didn't immediately snap to the person that helped her. The man grumbled, apparently he didn't want any trouble, and just stumbled away without a fuss. But Regina didn't even notice, all she was _blonde hair_ and when she was met with _beautiful green eyes_ she nearly swooned when her _saviour_ breathed out, "My Queen."

"Emma" the name a faint whisper on her lips, as if speaking the name too loudly would somehow make the person in front of her disappear. And _oh,_ seeing the other woman was like she's been lost at sea all this time and Emma was the boat that had come to rescue her. The blonde didn't even say anything, she just stepped right up to her, their bodies colliding and slotting together like a puzzle, and wrapped her arms around her.

Emma was so much taller than her now and _oh god_ , she smelled so good, like vanilla and wildflowers, and Regina felt so safe in the woman's arms. She felt herself gripping the blonde's plaid shirt so hard, she feared she would tear it, but she didn't want to let go, never wanted to let go.

"I missed you" were the muffled words against her hair and all she could do was hug tighter and nod into the pale stretch of neck before her. She didn't know how long they just stood like that, clinging to each other like their lives depended on it, but she was willing to spend an eternity just like this. Regina honestly didn't think they would ever meet again, the last time was purely a coincidence, and to be honest, she's really just grateful that she didn't have to wait nearly as long to see Emma again as she had to last time.

"Emma?" She felt strong arms reluctantly loosen and eventually let go when someone called the blonde's name. They both turned to see a tall brunette with long straight hair and dark eyes looking at them strangely. "Who's this?" The brunette said, not quite hiding her spite and Regina picked it up instantly because she wasn't a stranger to people hating her.

But Emma, sweet Emma, simply wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged tightly in reassurance, "This is Regina, my one and only Queen." The blonde grinned brightly, and Regina couldn't stop her face from flushing. Emma squeezed her waist until she looked up at her, "This is Lily," she nodded towards the scowling brunette, "my girlfriend."

Regina felt herself nearly faint from that because _her Emma_ , _her saviour,_ and _mine mine mine_. And Regina has never felt possessive over anything or anyone, so this intense bout of jealousy she was feeling at the moment was foreign to her.

It certainly explained the scowl the brunette was carrying though. "Hey _babe_ ," she narrowed her eyes at the over exaggerated word, it was obvious that the other brunette was not liking the physical contact between her and Emma, "could you get me a drink? Thanks babe."

The tall blonde frowned for a bit because she didn't really have much say in that 'command' but decided to listen anyway; Regina already hates this _girlfriend_ since she doesn't like _anyone_ demanding things from the blonde. "I'll be back soon," Emma said more to Regina than her own girlfriend and Regina tried her best not to feel smug but it was inevitable. When her saviour was gone though, the scowl on the brunette's face transformed into vicious anger.

"Listen, I don't get this whole queen thing but whoever the hell you think you are Emma is _taken_ , by _me_ , you understand?" if that wasn't cliché enough, the woman jabbed a finger at her and Regina was just _so tired_ of being pushed around. Regina has changed, changed so much after she finally got out from under her mother's thumb; she finally became her own person. She's learned she could fire back with just as much fierceness and she's learned not to be afraid.

"No, you insignificant _worm_ , what _you_ need to understand is that whoever Emma interacts with is _her_ choice. She can make her own damn decisions and _you_ don't get to control her like that, _girlfriend or not_." Because Regina knew all about people controlling all aspects of her life, knows what the lack in choices could do to a person and she never wants Emma to _ever_ go through that. Not if she could help it.

The brunette looked like she was either going to pounce or break her face but a breathless "I'm back" stopped her. Emma practically shoved the drink into her girlfriend's hands and gently guided her away from Regina. "Here's your drink Lily. Hey can I talk to Regina alone? Thanks." Emma said it all in one breath so both brunettes were still bewildered when the blonde whisked Regina away with strong pale arms until they found themselves in a room.

The door barrier made the room much too quiet and Regina's thoughts were so loud she was afraid Emma could hear them. She desperately tried not to think of _together_ and _room_ and _one bed_ but it was difficult and she fought valiantly against a blush.

She was broken out of her thoughts when hands cupped her face and she found herself staring into caring green eyes, "You okay?"

"Yes" she breathed out and it was thoughts of _Emma has a girlfriend_ and _too much too close_ and _god, those lips_ that Regina knew she had to escape, "I need to go to the washroom, excuse me." She pushed her way past the blonde and practically ran away.

It was the quiet of the washrooms that brought forth deep regret.

She hated that she had to run away from the one person she never wanted to be away from. It was the only way she could stop herself from doing something despicable, such as make Emma a _cheater_.

She wondered when it became so complicated with Emma. It was never complicated before but then again, they were _young_ before. And now there's _hormones_ and _feelings_ and for god's sake she's only met Emma _three_ _times_ but each time only makes her crave more but she can't because there's now there's this Lily existence and Emma is ' _taken_ '. Plus she didn't even know if Emma felt the same.

Regina thinks she fell for the blonde at first sight.

Thinking about their first meeting always brought a smile to her face. Despite the bullying, seeing Emma for the first time was the one bright spot in her memories. And _god,_ Emma still called her ' _my Queen'_ and each utterance brought a shiver down her back because the blonde said it with such reverence that she wanted to hear Emma repeatedly call her that as she brought her into climax over and over and _dammit_.

She groans into her hands because _no, no, no_ she didn't want to taint their first memory together by _lusting_ after Emma. She's never _lusted_ after anybody before, and this sudden arousal by simply thinking about the blonde was frightening and new and it was probably what was missing from all those dates.

She thinks she's been sitting in the washroom long enough so she forces herself to get up and out before she thinks better of it. When she stepped out though, she was practically assaulted by the partying and the noise and she forgot just how effective those doors were when they shut. She spots Emma but she's off with Lily in a corner as they spoke to each other at an intimate distance and she finds it hard to look at so she walks right over to the bar.

She doesn't have much experience with alcohol, nor does she know what a good drink actually was. They all burned down her throat the same so she picked up a shot of tequila and downed it like everyone around her and there were cheers and whoops and she wanted to gag from the vile taste.

She thinks maybe it would taste better after a few more shots, she also thinks that maybe if she got drunk enough she could stop thinking about the beautiful blonde and some hussy that probably doesn't deserve her, standing in the next room.

Three shots in and she could barely stand, but her head was pleasantly buzzed and the world felt like it was tilted on an axis. Her heart was beating abnormally fast and she barely strings together the coherent thought that maybe drinking so much so fast was a bad idea, but then everyone was cheering and she found herself cheering along with them.

She takes a step to ready another shot but her feet somehow missed the ground and suddenly everything was swirling. She thought she heard someone call her name but all she saw was black soon after.

* * *

"Oh my god." She groused.

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the massive pounding in her head. It was worse than everyone has ever described, it was like a truck ramming itself repeatedly against the side of her skull and she squeezed her head in vain to stop the constant throbbing. The sunlight was killer on her eyes and she couldn't even move her head away because every movement was painful.

She laid there for what felt like hours but was more accurately about 30 minutes before she began to realize that she was in bed. _How did she get in bed?_ It was at that point when she noticed the feeling of an arm around her. Her eyes flew open in panic when she thought that she might have slept with someone in her drunken state.

"Shit." The sudden influx of light was painful but the simple action of _propping herself up_ was hell on earth. She held her head in her hands for another good 30 minutes before the world finally stopped spinning and she could get a good look at her bedmate. The arm was slim and pale and led to an unruly head of blonde curls. She thinks _maybe?_ And hopes against hope that it was her favourite blonde beside her and not just _some_ pretty blonde she took to bed because she was reminded of Emma.

Her bedmate appeared to be wearing clothes but she was stripped down to her underwear and things were not looking good for her. Emma or not, sleeping with someone while highly intoxicated was never a good idea and she really needed to know who was beside her so she could figure out her next step.

After a few minutes of contemplation, she carefully grabbed a few blonde locks and lifted them up to see the face underneath. She gasped loudly when she saw who it really was and the noise unfortunately caused the other woman to stir.

"R'gina?"

"Emma?"

There was shifting and she felt the arm around her torso tighten and pull. She yelped when she fell down beside the blonde and Emma instantly latched on to her, turning her body around so that she was spooned by the taller woman. "Too early. Sleep more" was grumbled into the back of her neck and Regina felt every breath. _Goddammit Regina,_ she just woke up and she's already feeling aroused from being around the other woman and the arm that had slowly migrated from upper body to abdomen was not helping matters.

It was mid panic that she felt an unsettling in her stomach. "Oh crap." She quickly pushed the arm away so she could get up and raced to the washroom. Next thing she knew, everything was coming back up her throat.

She felt a hand on her back, her medium length hair was pulled away for her and suddenly she's grateful that she was stripped down to a bra. The hand on her back began to trace soothing circles as encouraging words of comfort were cooed into her ear while she threw her stomach contents past porcelain lips. She groaned and vowed never to be this stupid again when she was done and the woman beside her simply chuckled and wrapped her up in strong, safe arms.

They stayed there for a long moment on cold tile as Regina enjoyed the feeling of being in Emma's arms again as the blonde hummed a mindless tune.

She regretted moving because somehow it indicated that she was well again and Emma brought them both to stand, first shuffling them over to the sink so she could rinse out her mouth, then over to the bed. "C'mon, lie down some more, I'll go grab you some water."

And it was sweet but the sight of Emma turning around and leaving caused Regina to panic "No!" she grappled at the thin tank, the material stretching into impossible lengths as Regina desperately pulled to keep the woman from leaving. "Stay! Please."

Blue-green eyes blinked for a few moments in contemplation before Emma agreed, "Okay" she said, and slid into the bed until she wrapped Regina up in her arms again. Regina loved being here, being in the blonde's arms, she thinks _home_ and never wants to lose it again.

They lay there in peace for a long moment and she feels herself feeling better already; Regina has her head tucked under Emma's chin and Emma's pressing kisses on the crown of her head. She doesn't want to ruin the moment but she can't seem to control her thoughts and actions when she's around the other woman.

"Why her?"

Emma pulls back in confusion, "Why who?" and Regina huffs out irritated because she wonders why Emma wasn't thinking about this more.

"Why _Lily_?"

Green eyes widen in realization, "oh" before they turn sheepish and Emma's clearing out her throat thinking of what to say. "Can you promise me that you won't hate me after I tell you?"

Regina's confused because _she could never hate Emma_ but she nods in reassurance anyway.

The blonde clears her throat again and Regina takes a hold of one of her hands and squeezes lightly "Okay, so, before I could graduate high school, I aged out of the system."

Her eyes widen in shock at the statement, "Oh, Emma…" she begins to bring both her hands up to cup the woman's face but was stopped short by two strong hands.

"Listen to the whole thing before you start feeling sorry for me, because I did a bad thing after." Now she's really curious, so she nods and waits for the woman to continue. "So, anyway, aged out, no where to go, I couldn't exactly go to college and jobs require a home address. So I um, I was homeless for a while, wandered the streets looking for food and odd jobs and," the blonde inhales quickly, "that's when I met Lily. She was an orphan too but like, she was adopted and by this really rich family. Anyway, we met when I was stealing some pop tarts from a convenience store and she helped me out. We started to hang out afterwards and eventually we got close enough that she introduced me to her family."

The taller woman paused and frowned for moment. "I need to sit up for this" she said, and propped herself up until she was leaning against the headboard. Regina blinked and then decided to sit up as well. When they were both comfortably seated beside each other Emma continued, "Her family allowed me to use their house as my address for job resumes and interviews. I managed to get a few jobs because of that, so you can imagine I was pretty grateful to Lily."

Regina had a feeling she knew where this was going and didn't like it.

"So when… she kissed me and asked if I wanted to go out I said yes because I was afraid of-" a palm slapped over the blonde's face mid-sentence as she groaned up at the ceiling, "god this makes me sound like such an ass."

"Emma, no, it doesn't." Regina pulled the hand away from the woman's face and tugged until green eyes met brown. "You were trying to survive. Anyone else would have done the same thing; if anything, Lily was the one who manipulated you because she knew you couldn't refuse."

Emma just smiled, "So you don't hate me?"

Regina just cupped the side of her jaw and rubbed a thumb affectionately across her cheek. "No, I love you too much to hate you."

That earned a smile for Regina. The blonde turned and nuzzled against her palm for a bit, pressing a kiss there before she slowly leaned in until their foreheads met and she hesitantly whispered out "I really want to kiss you, my Queen." And Regina shivered because the combination of the request and just the way Emma called her ' _my Queen'_ shook the very core of her being.

"I want you to kiss me, my Saviour." She whispered back and they both closed the inch of distance between them until their lips met and Regina heard angels sing and felt the heavens open up and _god,_ she's never been a religious person before but this might actually make her believe in higher power.

When a probing muscle begged entrance she immediately parted her lips and moaned so loudly, she would've been embarrassed if she wasn't so preoccupied with how amazing it felt when Emma's tongue brushed the roof of her mouth. Without breaking contact, Regina managed to maneuver herself until she was sitting in Emma's lap and gasped when an arm roughly pulled at her waist until their bodies practically meshed together and a thigh was purposely placed between her legs.

It felt so good, better than anything Regina has ever experienced and she found herself wrapping her arms around lean shoulders and slowly grinded against the thigh.

"R'gina" the blonde muttered in between kisses and nudged her a little, "Regina, stop." A pale hand flew up and accidentally pressed against her breasts and she moaned against thin lips, "Regina!" Emma yelled out louder and she abruptly pulled away.

Both of them were flushed and completely breathless but Regina wondered if she did something wrong, "Are you okay?" she asked because the blonde looked like she was trying to keep a polite distance even though Regina was still in her lap.

"We…" Emma's eyes glanced down to her bruised lips and looked as if she was trying to remember why she made them stop in the first place, "we need to slow down."

"Oh," and right, of course, Emma was being sensible and this was far too important to rush. There were also a lot of things they had to discuss as well, "you're right, and you need to figure out what you're going to do with Lily as well."

"What?" the blonde woman seemed utterly confused for a moment, "Oh right I forgot to tell you, we broke up last night."

Regina raised an eyebrow at that, _well that was a quick_. "Maybe you were right about slowing down." She said slowly, "I hope you're not always this nonchalant about breaking up with people and you don't throw me away nearly as quick once we sleep together."

And even though she was half joking, Emma practically _panics_ and tries desperately to explain herself, "What?! I mean, no! Never! I mean- Lily's great and all – she got me up on my feet and helped me get my GED and now I'm finally here and that's also kinda why I'm 2 years below you – but like, yeah, no, I'm _grateful_ – really I am - but it would be unfair for her because I don't love her. I love _you_ , and she's _not_ _you,_ she'll _never_ be _you_. I just- When I saw you I just wanted to do this right, ask you out, take you to romantic dinners, bring you flowers and I- I needed to break up with her first-"

"Emma" the idea of the blonde taking her out for romantic dinners brought a flutter to her stomach and Regina pressed down firmly on the blonde's shoulders to try and stop her babbling, "Emma, I'm kidding." And the second utterance of her name finally caused the blonde to calm down and stare up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"I love _you,_ Regina, you'll always be my Queen. And I know it's bad to put you up on a pedestal like this, but I want to treat you right, I want to give you everything you deserve."

And she nearly cries out in happiness from that last statement, "Oh Emma," a tear actually escapes but for once she doesn't hear her mother's _love is weakness_ , instead she hears _home_ and _you'll get there_ and _we'll go on an adventure_. Regina thinks _love is an adventure_ and she wants to go on this adventure with Emma. "You are the light of my life and you'll _always_ be my Saviour."

She slides a palm against a pale cheek and stare into sparkling green eyes, "You deserve the whole world and more. I love you too, I think I always have, and I'm never letting you go again."

Emma gives a watery grin and kisses her palm softly, "Well that's good, because I think you're _home_ to me and I never want to let you go as well."

* * *

 **End Note:** It's done. Oh my god.

I'm still in shock that I actually completed something. Thanks so much for reading, thanks so much to the people that reviewed, you're all awesome and I should eat something because I'm starving now that I finally finished writing this.


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